Copper River Highway

Maya’s travels of the Copper River Highway

The Copper River Highway starts in Cordova, Alaska and spans almost 50 miles along an old railbed – The Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CR&NW). It incorporates the Million Dollar Bridge which had previously carried trains until the CR&NW shut down. The road was originally intended to link Cordova with Chitina and construction began in 1945. The Good Friday earthquake hit in 1964 which halted construction of the road due to damage to the Million Dollar Bridge. The road was not fully completed until 2005. The first 12 miles of the highway is paved and the rest is gravel.

Maya’s adventures traversing the Copper River Highway include Cordova, the Million Dollar Bridge, and Child’s Glacier.